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4 Challenges the Online Betting and Gaming Industry Will Face in the 2020s

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Photo source: casinodope.com

 

Estimates will always vary, but there are some predictions that the online betting and gaming industry will more than double in size from the period of 2017-2024, with all online gambling-related activities almost reaching the $100 billion mark globally 2025.

That’s incredible growth for an industry that is relatively mature. But we can speculate that many outliers will have an impact, such as the liberalization of gambling laws on a state by state basis in the United States, and the clarifying of laws in countries like Finland and Germany.

However, while the growth is nevertheless a reason for the industry to celebrate, there are several areas that will present challenges to betting and gaming worldwide as we enter the next decade. We look at some of those below:

Cryptocurrency

Yes, there are countless ‘bitcoin casinos’ out there. But we also know that regulators – and governments – don’t like the idea of a marriage between cryptocurrency and gaming sites. In the end, it all boils down to transparency, and crypto is seen as the antithesis of the recent drives for KYC (know your customer) policies and anti-fraud measures. A lot will depend on the mainstreaming of cryptocurrency, perhaps driven by Facebook’s Libra coin. The MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) is exploring the viability of crypto through its Sandbox Framework, but one suspects that it will be more than a few years before we see the ubiquitous use of cryptocurrency at casinos.

Regulation

Obviously, a difficult subject to cover as different countries will have varied legal restrictions on marketing and advertising. Yet, so many national parliaments have at least proposed regulations that look like they could hamstring the industry in terms of how it markets itself. The UK Labour Party, for instance, has called for incredibly tough measures, including the introduction of minimum bet amounts and an extension of KYC policies. Some regulation and help for responsible gambling would be welcome, of course, as is regulatory clarity, but the industry will need to work with regulators to ensure that it doesn’t go too far.

Millennials

Despite the growth figures mentioned earlier, the challenges to get millennials playing at land-based and online casinos remaining. Sure, plenty of under 35s will log in to casino.com to play the roulette tables or have an online punt on the Premier League, but the challenge to get millennials interested in classic games and events like horse racing will undoubtedly give operators sleepless nights. A lot of talk has occurred over the idea of merging the world of video games and competitive casino play, perhaps harnessing the incredible popularity of games like Fortnite and certain eSports and crossing them over to casinos. It’s an interesting concept, and it’s completely foreseeable that we will see monetized video games sitting proudly beside the classic table and card games in the near future.

The eSports arena opens at UCI.photo: steve zylius/UCI

Green Issues

It’s almost guaranteed that every industry on the planet is set to face more scrutiny on its carbon footprint. Tech companies, of all types, usually escape such scrutiny, as there are more apparent culprits for campaigners to turn their ire upon. The online gaming industry can certainly point to its green superiority over the land-based industry, albeit many resorts are trying to make changes, but it still takes a lot of energy to run a popular website. Statistics aren’t available for casino games specifically, but the carbon dioxide emissions of playing video games online are said to be equivalent to the emissions of millions of cars. This is obviously not an issue related to online gaming specifically, but that doesn’t make it any less pressing to address.

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Eeze promotes Aarti Carl, Kurt Vella and Shaun Cini in leadership reshuffle

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Eeze has promoted three executives into senior leadership roles as the casino supplier scales its operations and reorganises key functions.

Aarti Carl has been appointed Chief People Officer to lead a newly repositioned People Function. Eeze said the function was previously HR and has been redefined to reflect a focus on culture, employee experience and organisational development.

Kurt Vella has been named Chief Legal Officer, responsible for overseeing Eeze’s global legal and compliance strategy.

Shaun Cini has been promoted to Vice President of Finance. Eeze said Cini will continue supporting strategic decision-making.

Lai Fatt Chiang, Chief Executive Officer at Eeze, said: “These appointments reflect both the strength of our internal talent and our commitment to building a leadership team that can support our continued growth.

“Aarti, Kurt, and Shaun have each made a significant impact on the business, and I am confident they will continue to play a key role in shaping our future.”

The post Eeze promotes Aarti Carl, Kurt Vella and Shaun Cini in leadership reshuffle appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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QTech Games names Iryna Alabuhina Head of Commercial for Europe

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Former Hub88 senior account manager joins as QTech targets expanded European operator partnerships.

QTech Games has appointed Iryna Alabuhina as Head of Commercial – Europe, tasking her with expanding the company’s commercial footprint across the region.

Alabuhina joins from Hub88, where she served as Senior Account Manager working with operators across multiple international markets. Before that, she held business development and platform-management roles at SOFTSWISS, and later joined Evolution, where she focused on managing CIS clients and platforms.

QTech Games CEO Philip Doftvik said: “We’re delighted to have secured Iryna’s broad expertise and sharp sales skills for this dedicated commercial-lead role at QTech, as we continue to strengthen and scale up our influence across Europe. Aside from her fantastic experience, Iryna is a great cultural fit with QTech and a person with the right mindset that will help us grow even faster.

“We’re thrilled with Iryna’s fast start as a team player and leader, especially as QTech crosses the threshold of our next growth cycle, consolidating our incumbent position as the dominant aggregator for emerging markets.”

Alabuhina said: “I’m excited to join QTech Games as Head of Commercial for Europe, focusing on strengthening existing partnerships and driving new business growth. QTech is an aggregator renowned for its team morale and collaborative ethos, not to mention some defining points of delineation in the aggregation space – whether that’s its raft of tech-led product developments, rapid-fire integrations, simple invoicing structure, or offset pricing. I was also struck by QTech’s unique commercial model, rich portfolio and enterprising mindset.

“I’m now looking forward to broadening our horizons and partner-base still further, as I head up a talented commercial team for Europe, assembling the best online games and taking them to market across some territories of great potential.”

QTech Games is the top game aggregator for developing markets and a vital industry leader in game exploration. Its remarkable selection of continually updated content is highlighted by 200+ suppliers, more than 5,000 casino games, and over 1,000 live tables – and still growing! Consequently, this is integrated with a continuously growing international presence, exclusive gaming tools and services, and cutting-edge AI technology to enhance its partners’ offerings and improve their customer experience.

The post QTech Games names Iryna Alabuhina Head of Commercial for Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates

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Play’n GO has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, framing the year as a milestone as the supplier marks 20 years in the gaming industry. The report covers performance across four pillars—Players, Partners, People and Planet—and positions sustainability as tied to product design, operations, and partner expectations.

On climate reporting, the company said it has “achieved and exceeded” its long-term 90% reduction target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and reported a 69% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions versus its 2023 base year. Play’n GO also said its total material emissions for 2025 were kept below 500 MTCO2e.

The report also points to a move into land-based delivery. In 2025, Play’n GO said it launched its first land-based gaming solution in partnership with Genting UK, positioning the rollout as part of a “player-first, low-footprint approach” for regulated venues.

On responsible entertainment, the company said it continues to reject game mechanics it believes “compromise player trust or wellbeing,” and highlighted participation in discussions on digital wellbeing and cognitive health, including at the United Nations and G7. “We have always believed that great entertainment should be fun, safe and fair,” said Vanessa Björkbacka, Director of CSR at Play’n GO.

The report also outlines internal development and reporting infrastructure. Play’n GO said 43% of employees engaged in AI-related learning during 2025 and that average training time exceeded seven hours per employee globally. It added that reporting was further aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, alongside investment in “secure, AI-supported carbon data management.” “As expectations on transparency and accountability continue to rise, we see it as our responsibility to lead,” Björkbacka added.

The post Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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